Emma Watson’s symbol of unity on the MTV red carpet

As President Trump continues to make horrifying decisions with tedious regularity, the current climate is one of uncertainty for many people.

But the red carpet goes on, and with it, celebrities are continuing to use not only their voices to make political statements, but their outfits too.

Hot on the heels of several symbolic sartorial gestures at the Met Gala, Emma Watson chose her accessories with care for her evening at the 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards this weekend (7 May), pinning a blue ampersand from GLAAD to the waist of her black sequinned Kitz dress.

The pin is part of GLAAD's Together campaign

The organisation, which campaigns for LGBTQ acceptance and aims to amplify the voices in those communities, states that the pin is a way for people to “declare that [they] stand with all communities subject to discrimination – including women, Muslims, immigrants, and LGBTQ people.”

GLAAD called the evening “a remarkable celebration of representation with many of the night's most memorable moments awarding characters and storylines often marginalized in mainstream media”.

Watson, 27, received the first gender-neutral acting award on the night, handed to her by Billions star Asia Kate Dillon, who identifies as gender non-binary and whom Watson thanked for “educating me in such an inclusive, patient, and loving way.”

Meanwhile, Best Kiss went to Moonlight’s Ashton Sanders and Jharrel Jerome, Hidden Figures won Best Fight Against the System and Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya received the Next Generation award.

Various other famous faces also donned the pin at the event, including Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown and her co-stars, The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah and Transparent stars Amy Landecker, Jay Duplass and Trace Lysette.

The ampersand pin supports GLAAD’s Together movement, representing a stance of intersectional solidarity, and which “resists the powers that seek to divide us and to stand in solidarity with marginalized communities who are under attack in the current social and political climate,” according to GLAAD’s website.

“The ampersand represents unity and support to these communities which include LGBTQ, Muslim, immigrant communities, communities of colour, women, and all those who find themselves disenfranchised for being who they are, because no one is just one identity and all of us are under attack.”

Following Sting’s wearing of the pin at the Oscars in February, GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis told Variety: “This movement’s presence on television, social media and in everyday life will help form an unyielding bond of unity that cannot be ignored.”

Images: Rex Features

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Amy Swales

Amy Swales is a freelance writer who likes to eat, drink and talk about her dog. She will continue to plunder her own life and the lives of her loved ones for material in the name of comedy, catharsis and getting pictures of her dog on the internet.